Gaming machines which provide players awards in primary or base games are well known. Gaming machines generally require the player to place or make a wager to activate a primary or base game. In many of these gaming machines, the award for each played primary game is based on the player obtaining a winning symbol or symbol combination and on the amount of the wager placed on that primary game (e.g., the higher the wager, the higher the award). Generally, symbols or symbol combinations which are less likely to occur usually provide higher awards.
Certain known gaming machines include a plurality of reels. Each reel includes a plurality of symbols. After a player places a wager on the game, the reels spin and then stop to display a generated combination of symbols on the reels. If a winning symbol or winning combination of symbols is/are generated along an active payline associated with the reels (or in a scatter pay configuration), the player receives the award associated with the generated winning symbol or generated winning combination of symbols.
Symbol stacking in a reel game is also known. Symbol stacking is implemented by forming stacks of one or more identical symbols in adjacent symbol positions of a reel strip utilized by a single reel. The identical symbols on the same single reel are adjacent to each other, and thus “stacked.” For example, in a slot game with three rows of symbols, three cherry symbols may appear adjacent to each other on a reel to form a stack of three cherry symbols. For a spin of the stacked reel of such a slot game, part or all of a stack of symbols can be displayed in a viewing area of the gaming machine. In one known slot gaming device, when a gaming machine generates stacks of symbols that are identical on three or more adjacent reels, multiple winning symbol combinations can be formed and the gaming machine can provide large payouts to the player if portions of one or more stacks of symbols are displayed.
Using such stacked symbols in a reel gaming machine may create a problem when stacks of symbols are not generated on adjacent reels. A gaming machine may generate stacks of identical symbols on two non-adjacent reels. That is, if stacks of identical symbols are generated on two non-adjacent reels which are separated by one or more reels that generated symbols different than the stacks of symbols, a winning combination of symbols cannot be formed from what appeared to be an impressive generation of symbols. Often times players receive many stacks of symbols but no winning symbol combinations.
There is a continuing need to increase the excitement and entertainment experienced by people playing gaming machines which utilize stacks of symbols. There is a further need for increasing the number of winning symbol combinations generated and awards provided to a player for a single play of a game.